It took 12 committed students two years to get everything organised.  Money for such a trip had to be raised, vehicles organised, books acquired, arrangements with the Universities made and a great deal more.  Finally, we can say that it was a great success.

Initially the trip was in grave danger of being cancelled due to lack of funds.  The worst draw back was that there were no sponsored vehicles and we had to take our personal vehicles, which consisted of two single cab bakkies without four-wheel drive.  Because of the limited space in our vehicles, there was no other alternative but to cut the team down to six people, which was no easy task.  The positive result was that the trip was back on track and the books could be delivered. 

The two vehicles, a Toyota hilux 1800 (Archers) and an Isuzu kb250 (Junior), were equipped for Africa , packed and covered in stickers of the sponsors, especially the great green machine of BP.  We left Pretoria on the 3rd of December, not for Zimbabwe (as initially planned) but for Botswana .  This change was made at the last minute due to the unstable situation and the possible fuel shortage in Zimbabwe .  Our first petrol fill-up took place in Pretoria , but from thereon the yellow-green BP sign was our best friend, which “kept us moving” all the way.  Topped up we ventured forward on our expedition into the depths of Africa .  We encountered our first roadblock not even 20km from Pretoria .  We did not have any problems here but we were soon to discover that further north roadblocks were the rule rather than the exception.  The Botswana border was crossed with little difficulty and the first few nights were spent under the glorious African stars.

We visited the state vet in Kasane in the north of Botswana who shared a bit of insight on their control of ‘Foot and Mouth’ and other controlled diseases.  By crossing the mighty Zambezi River on a ferry, we left Botswana .  Our first experiences of the true African roads were encountered between Kasane and Livingstone ( Zambia ), with a pothole popping up every 15m.  We spent two nights in Livingstone in the back yard of a school.

Our first tourist highlight of the trip came as we ventured to see the roaring Victoria Falls .  There we found ourselves just a few centimetres from the edge of the falls in a pool called “The Devil’s Armchair”.  We left the comfort of Livingstone and headed for our first drop off in Lusaka at the University of Zambia .  

We arrived at the University on Sunday the 8^th December in the early evening and much to our surprise found the rather diligent Doctor Phiri.  He would be our host for the next few days.  With a roof over our heads for the first time since leaving South Africa and camping in the form of the final year lecture hall.

We were very pleased to enjoy such comforts, especially a hot shower and electricity.  The books were officially handed over the next day and in the absence of the dean of the faculty, the deputy dean was more than pleased to receive the books. The beaming smiles of all in sundry made it evident how much joy our books brought.  We were taken on a tour of the faculty and in the library we came to understand the true value of our project for the first time – the books were few and outdated with any of the newer ones dating back to the project under taken in 1998.                      

At the hospital we were, rather unkindly, surprised to find a chimp, Chika, that had been flown in from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Chika suffered from severe burn wounds resulting from her Congolese captors chasing her up a high voltage power line.  Chika was not in the best of condition and was constantly under supervision.  Koos took a keen interest in her and was by her side continuously, ready to give her support and nourishment (TLC went without saying).  This was the first time any of us had encountered a chimp at such close quarters and we could not believe the feelings and resemblance to that of humans.

We left Lusaka on Tuesday the 10^th heading north past Chingola to the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage.  There we were heartily welcomed by Dave and Sheila Siddle.  Chimfunshi is in the remote northern part of the Zambian Copperbelt Province , a mere 15km from the DRC. The beautiful Kafue River runs through it.  We were privileged enough to be taken around the enclosures by Don and got really close to the chimps.

It was remarkable to see once again how closely related these apes actually are to humans.  Claude had a close encounter with a chimp called Sandy .  With the accuracy of Jonty Rhodes she threw a bush orange, hitting him right between the eyes, almost breaking his glasses. 

The hospitality at Chimfunshi was superb and the visit was definitely a highlight of the trip.  The deworming drugs we supplied them for the chimps were much appreciated.

We unfortunately had to leave the picturesque Chimfunshi and head for Tanzania , sleeping over at Chengela Christian School .  We left early the next morning, having our first day of real long distance travelling (about 800km).  While en route to the border of Tanzania we encountered our first trouble with the police at one of the roadblocks.  We came up with the simple African solution of negotiation and passed on our merry way.  We eventually reached the Tanzanian border.  Here we found that third party insurance was an objective issue where different people were charged different amounts, depending on their mood.  US$240 later, six rather grumpy and tired South African students finally found themselves in (most beautiful) Tanzania .  Darkness was descending fast and our long day turned into an even longer night as a place to pitch our tents kept on eluding us. The night was spent on the side of the road in a field where we did not pitch tents but slept rather uncomfortably in the vehicles.  We were up at 04:00am the next morning, ready to travel the 900km stretch to Morogoro.  This was a special day since it was Reynier’s birthday (15 December) and a beer was opened for the occasion!

We arrived at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro at 21:00 on Sunday the 15^th.  Once again, we did not expect to find anyone present.  We found a student, Ntondo, who took us to the dean, Prof Kambarage.  The dean invited us to his own tavern, where he welcomed us with open arms, good food and local beer, showing us the “Tanzanian way”.  Our host, Dr. Makungu, was also introduced to us.

 After a very enjoyable evening, some of us took the opportunity to attend classes and experience their way of lecturing. The books were then handed over and we were given a tour of the campus and library, which once again was very sparse and the books outdated and rather tatty.  Ntondo showed us their hostel and it was amazing to see that they fit three people into a room that back home would be the size of a single room.  Our time spent as Morogoro was a special experience because we got to interact with their students.

We left Morogoro and headed towards Arusha in the north.  On the way, one of the vehicles had to make a detour to Dar Es Salaam to draw money because it was one of the only places in Tanzania where they accepted VISA/MasterCard.  The traffic in Dar was not for the faint hearted, but Murray soon got the hang of it, cutting a path for himself with the hooter.  Hooters are used to indicate to all around you that you are on the road and about to overtake, turn left or right, cross robots or stop.  On our way to Arusha, we encountered a few more roadblocks and were fined almost every time for not having a fire extinguisher and the correct reflectors on each vehicle.  By this stage we had encountered a few road blocks already and figured out that a bit of sweet-talking is all that was needed and we promptly talked our way out of many a fine.  Enroute to Arusha we passed the very impressive Mt Kilimanjaro and were looking forward to the great parks of Tanzania .

Our third drop off was at the Tenguru livestock-training institute, but because we had timed it again to be there on the weekend, we decided to go past and drop off the books on the way back.  Beyond Arusha lay the great Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, which we were very keen to see, but unfortunately due to lack of 4X4’s and sufficient funds, could not make it.  We spent a rather pristine night under the stars camping in the wild and just appreciating the great beauty of Africa .

On the 20^th of December, we stopped at the institute and dropped off the books.  Once again, the hospitality was amazing and the stark need for books was evident.  At the institute we collected some vital drinking water from a fresh spring near the campus.

Our last drop off had been made and now we were free to go on “holiday”.  We headed towards the coast and the tropical escapes just south of Tanga.

We found a place called Peponi lodge, which was quite spectacular, with palm trees and beautiful beaches.

We decided to spend Christmas just 5km south of Peponi at an abandoned shipwreck where we camped on the beach and could not see any sign of civilisation.  Our Christmas lunch consisted of a 6kg red snapper fish which Claude “braaied” to perfection.  We also had enough veggies, fruit, rice and potatoes to feed a hostel.

After having rather sparse meals since the trip had started, this treat was really enjoyed.  From there we went to Dar Es Salaam for the night, where we stayed with Sean, a school friend of Murray . We were put up in some rather posh accommodation and felt once again what civilization was like.

All that remained of the trip now was the route back to South Africa , which we would get to by going through Malawi , Mozambique and finally home.  Our trip to Malawi was fairly uneventful except for once again spectacular scenery.  Once in Malawi we travelled along side the blue-green waters of Lake Malawi .

  We headed south and new years was spent at Kande Beach .  Kande Beach is on the route of all the overland trucks so there were many tourists there.  It was enjoyable to speak to some foreign people and hear about their stories of Africa and their trip so far.  New years was a rather large party playing drums with the locals on the beach.  From Kande Beach , we headed to the world heritage site of Cape Mclear on the south of the lake.  Unfortunately, due to a cyclone, there was a tremendous amount of torrential rain and we would not get to the actual site.  This was also where we picked up our first vehicle trouble, which consisted of one puncture, but was promptly fixed by one of the locals.  Our excursion was almost over.  All we had left was a meander through Mozambique , which actually appeared to be more developed than any of the other countries.  We visited some breath taking beaches, but the smell of home was in the air.  We arrived back in South Africa on the 7th of January only having one night to spend in Nelspruit and then back to the safety of Onderstepoort.  Six very tired students arrived home after travelling 12 000 km, through 6 very diverse countries.  We had the trip of our lives.

Our main aim on “Books or Africa ” was to help other Veterinary Faculties we visited.  Seeing them receiving the books and other educational material showed us how much they appreciated what they received.  We, the Books for Africa 2002 team, would like to thank each and every individual involved in this worthy project.

This trip was a chance of a lifetime and a privilege for all of us.  Without the generosity of our sponsors, “Books for Africa ” could not have taken place and all the faculties would have been left with outdated libraries.  The friendships formed between the students have also gone a long way to improving relations between our faculties.  Special thanks must go to our principal sponsor BP, whose green stickers smoothed the way through many roadblocks due to the company’s excellent image amongst the locals.  Thanks for keeping the wheels rolling.

SPECIAL THANKS FOR OUR SPONSORS:

BP                                                                 

HILLS

PETSURE                                                    

ENVIROCIN

MLS BANK                                                  

TANZANIAN HIGH COMMISSION

DR. KOBUS DU TOIT                                  

BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOCIATION

DISTELL                                                       

SOLZ

BRITISH/AMERICAN TABACCO                

TABARD

PRETORIA NEWS                                       

AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC

50/50                                                             

SANTAM C&F

SPEEDY HATFIELD                                    

HEALTH TEC

TOP TIMBERS                                             

MASTER FOODS

NOLA                                                           

SUNSAFE SUNSCREEN

BORDER IRRIGATION                               

RAMROD

TRIANGLE CHICKENS                               

ZAMBIAN HIGH COMMISSION

NETCARE TRAVEL CLINICS

STAFF OF THE ACADEMIC INFORMATION SERVICE                                   

NESHER CHRISTELIKE PRIVAAT SKOOL

      Reynier, Koos, Murray, Claude, Peter and Johann